


Cold Rain

by favefangirl



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Building snowmen, Cannon compliant, Domestic Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Established Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Established Relationship, Knitwear, M/M, Malec, Prompt Fill, Scarves, Snow, Snowmen, Winter, mostly - Freeform, prompt, winter au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-13 17:51:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11765211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/favefangirl/pseuds/favefangirl
Summary: Alec loves snow, but being a Shadowhunter means he's never gotten to just enjoy it.Magnus intends to change that.





	Cold Rain

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt - "Winter au : A pulling B in for a kiss by their scarf"  
> This developed way too much plot.  
> This is set somewhere in The Mortal Instruments books but with Matt Daddario and Harry Shum Jr as Alec and Magnus, hence why it's implied that Alec is taller even though he isn't in the books.  
> Just for total clarification, I have yet to read Heavenly Fire (I own it as of literally ten minutes ago) but I've read The Course of True Love (And First Dates) so I tried to make it fit along with the books I have read and that story.  
> I tried to make it as cannon compliant as possible, but I fear I may have diverted slightly.  
> Regardless, please enjoy.

The snow had settled in a thick blanket on the ground painting the whole world white. Alec had always liked the snow, the way it made everything look somehow calmer, more tranquil, how it was almost surprisingly cold to touch. Idris looked beautiful when it snowed, and Alec had many fond memories of holidays spent visiting the Penhallows. The warmth of the fire whilst it snowed outside, Jia's infamous hot cocoa in huge mugs being passed to each of the children, exciting stories of battle being told by the adults until it was time for everyone to go to bed, those same children protesting as much as they could before they realised it was useless to argue.

Alec didn't like many Mundane customs, but he had always wanted to try building a snowman. It wasn't something Shadowhunters did as they didn't believe in building something that would inevitably collapse, melting away once the sun reared it's head and warmed the world back up again. He liked watching snowball fights as well, the laughter and joy, how no one really cared who won and who lost because they could afford not to. It was one of the few customs Alec didn't think was entirely stupid. He refused to say he was jealous, although he most likely was.

There was a rune to stay warm in Winter, most likely so Shadowhunters wouldn't have to wrap themselves up in constrictive layers to avoid freezing. Layers which would only slow them down in a battle. But Alec hadn't bothered with it when he'd left the institute which may have been a bad idea, he though as he walked from the Subway to Magnus' apartment. He was seriously beginning to regret it as he cupped his freezing hands together and breathed on them to try and warm them up. He tried rubbing them, too, to create some friction but it wasn't working.

He was sodden by the time he reached Magnus' front door, from the snow which was falling steadily outside. His hair was flat on his head, falling in his eyes, his clothes stuck to his skin and he felt rather uncomfortable. He dug his key out of his jacket pocket and unlocked the door. It was an experience Alec quite enjoyed, letting himself into his boyfriend's apartment. He enjoyed it because it meant Magnus trusted him, that Magnus wanted him there whenever Alec wanted to be there, that to a certain extent the apartment was as much Alec's home as it was Magnus'.

Alec called out to his boyfriend as he closed the door behind him, but no reply came. That didn't matter, he and Magnus didn't have plans, he had just wanted to get out of the institute for a while. Christmas was not as important a holiday to Shadowhunters as it was to Mundanes, but it was important enough for Isabelle to appoint everyone she could find to decorating duty This overlooked by both Simon and Clary who had spent most of their lives celebrating the Mundane way. Hanging baubles onto a fake tree was not how Alec wanted to spend his day, not when there were better places for him to be.

Alec shucked off his soaked jacket and hung it on the back of Magnus' worn leather couch to dry. He went into the small bathroom attached to the apartment, stripped off his t-shirt and draped it on the radiator before grabbing a towel to dry himself a little, too. He was rubbing his hair dry with the towel when he heard the front door open and close. He thought it was Magnus but to be sure he walked back into the other room, towel still in his hands and found Magnus pulling off his coat. His hat, scarf and gloves were already strewn carelessly on the coffee table.

"Alexander," Magnus greeted brightly, smiling warmly. "What a pleasant surprise. Is there something I can help you with? This close to Christmas I don't usually do favours but if one of your friends has managed to get themselves into trouble again..." Magnus shrugged, clearly saying that he would help if he had to.

"No, Magnus, I'm not here on business." Alec explained. "I just wanted to spend some time with you."

Magnus' smile grew wider, his eyes crinkling and bright. "Well, I'm glad." Alec ducked his head and smiled too, picking at the cotton towel a little shyly. "Did you forget to put a shirt on this morning or is this for my benefit?" Magnus teased, gesturing to Alec's bare chest.

Alec huffed a quick laugh before replying, "No, I got a little wet in the snow so I put my shirt on the radiator in the bathroom." Alec suddenly wondered if maybe he was making himself a little too comfortable. They'd been dating a little while, but he didn't want to overstep any boundaries. "I hope that's okay?"

"Of course," Magnus said sincerely. "Mi casa es su casa."

Alec felt himself blush. He'd never had a boyfriend before, had never even dreamed of it. He'd always assumed he'd be in hopeless, unrequited love with his Parabatai until he inevitably died in battle against some demon he was not strong enough to kill. Those had been dark, dark days. But here in the warm, quiet apartment with Magnus, he had everything he could possibly hope for. Acceptance, trust, care. It wasn't just that Magnus was letting him stay, it was that he was letting him into his home and his heart. It was that he _wanted_ Alec to be there over anyone else.

"Thanks," Alec mumbled, not looking up.

Magnus had taken a few steps forward without Alec noticing and was right in front of him. With a bejewelled hand he lifted Alec's chin so that they were looking each other in the eye. "I mean it, Alexander. I want you to feel at home here."

Alec's blush deepened and he felt like his face was on fire. He felt like she should probably be embarrassed at how red he could feel himself turning, but with Magnus he wasn't. With Magnus he felt like he could be honest and not be judged for it. It was a comforting thought, one he never wanted to brush off. He enjoyed the feeling of safety. Perhaps that was why when he had left the Institute in search of refuge from Izzy's bright ideas, the first place he had thought of was Magnus' apartment - that was where he felt safest, with Magnus.

"Where have you been?" Alec asked aware he had been silent for some time. It was a comfortable silence, but he supposed he couldn't just stare into Magnus' beautiful cat's eyes all day, even if he wanted to.

"Oh, I just went for a walk," Magnus replied with a flippant wave of his hand. "I do so enjoy snow. Even after all the years I've walked the earth, it has never lost it's novelty."

"I like snow too," Alec said then cringed internally at how stupid he sounded.

"Really?" Magnus asked, genuinely surprised. "I would have thought Shadowhunters wouldn't have time for such a silly thing as snow? Isn't it basically just cold rain?" Magnus spoke his last words as though he was quoting someone.

Alec shrugged, feeling vulnerable without a shirt on even if he held the towel in front of himself covering most of his chest. "I guess we don't have time to, I don't know, play around in it like Mundanes, but I think it's pretty." He said, having never used the word 'pretty' before in his life.

"Have you ever built a snow man?" Magnus asked, eyes glinting mischievously. Alec shook his head. "Would you like to?"

Alec shrugged again. "I don't know, I've never really thought about it." He lied, not wanting to seem immature or childish in front of Magnus.

"Of course not," Magnus sighed like this was the answer he should have expected. "Well, I would like to show you just how wonderful snow is, if you'll let me?" He held out his hand, a small smile playing at his lips.

Alec stared at his hand a moment, considering Magnus' words. It wasn't like he was especially busy, he did have all day to spend doing as he wished. But if anyone found out he'd spent the day building pretend men out of snow, he would be ridiculed. He was already looked down for being gay, and for his choice to date Magnus (a _downworlder_ ). He wasn't sure he could cope being laughed at for wasting his time on top of all that, even if there wasn't much more he had to lose, and even if Magnus did look rather eager to do this.

"I don't know," Alec said non-committedly.

"It's such a shame Shadowhunters overthink everything," Magnus mused, somewhat sadly. "Even little things like having fun in the snow."

"I guess I've never really done something just because I wanted to before," Alec replied, looking at the floor.

"Then why not start now?" Magnus proposed, his tone making it obvious that Alec was under no obligation to say yes even if his eyes betrayed him with their hopeful glint.

Alec looked up at Magnus' expectant face, a face he had memorised by now. "Alright," he conceded.

"Excellent," Magnus beamed. "But first you'll need a shirt and a coat and a hat and some gloves."

"I don't- I don't own any of those things," Alec confessed. "I can just draw a rune." He reached into his back pocket for his stele, but Magnus held up a hand to stop him.

"Alexander, if we are going to do this, we're going to do it properly." Magnus said, voice serious. "I'm sure I'll be able to find something to fit you, wait right here." Alec was about to protest but Magnus was already dashing into his bedroom.

Alec wondered if he'd made the right choice, but then decided he didn't care. He was in his boyfriend's apartment being asked to spend the day enjoying himself with someone he cared about, it the clave had a problem with that then it was on them, not him. He had never spent a day having fun for the sake of it before, and was interested in seeing what it was like. He'd found in the short time he'd been with Magnus that as much as he took pride in being a Shadowhunter and doing his duty the best he could, he quite enjoyed living like a Mundane from time to time.

It took almost ten minutes for Magnus to return, and when he did Alec was sat on the couch stroking Chairman Meow who was nuzzling into his chest. Alec scratched just behind his ears where he knew the cat liked it, and he purred so loudly that Magnus laughed. Alec looked up with a smile on his face and found Magnus standing with his arms full of knitwear and brightly coloured fabric. Alec's eyes widened and dread began to pool in his stomach.

"I know you don't really wear any colour but black, but this is the best I could find." Magnus said quickly, clearly reading the expression of horror on Alec's face.

He held out a navy blue silk shirt which was covered in black velvet spirals. It looked far too big for Magnus, but Alec didn't think about who else's it might be. That was a rabbit hole he didn't want to disappear down, especially not when he and Magnus were about to spend some time together. He took the shirt and slid it onto his still bare chest. The material felt nice on his skin - smooth and soft, sliding with the movement of his muscles underneath. He buttoned it up, very conscious of Magnus watching him, willing his fingers not to shake.

Next Magnus held out a scarf. It was woollen, also blue, but a shade or two brighter. "This is actually a gift," Magnus explained, "I saw it in a shop window a couple of weeks ago and couldn't resist. It's the colour of your eyes."

Alec's breath hitched as he took the scarf and wrapped it around his neck. He only ever received gifts on his birthday - Izzy was always being showered with gifts from their father on the few occasions he returned from Idris, Max was the youngest child so naturally he was spoiled, and Alec suspected Jace was doted on so much because he wasn't their biological son and they wanted to prove that didn't mean they loved him any less. No one had ever bought Alec a gift just because they wanted to before, especially not one so thoughtful.

"Thank you," he told Magnus, not sure how to voice how much it meant to him.

Magnus shrugged like it was nothing and handed Alec a thick, black coat. This, also, looked too big for Magnus but again he didn't question it. He told himself that Magnus probably had closets full of clothes for men and women, he was popular man who held many parties, perhaps it had simply been left behind by a guest. The coat was warm immediately as Alec slid it on, a little strange as he was only used to wearing much thinner jackets. He then took the hat and gloves being offered to him and pulled them on. They were black as well, which Alec was thankful for.

Magnus pulled on his own outerwear which he had taken off as he'd entered the apartment, and held out his hand. Alec took it without even thinking twice, and let himself be led out of the apartment, down the stairs, and out into the street. The snow was still falling, but only softly now, and Alec barely felt it under the coat and the knitwear. It was nice being deglamoured but not having to worry about anyone seeing his runes since they were all hidden by his clothes. There were very few Mundanes on the streets anyway, but it was a comfort nonetheless.

Magnus continued to lead them down the street, their steps crunching in the snow. Alec's face was uncovered, and so it still felt the cold, his nose feeling the worst and undoubtedly going red, but he didn't care as Magnus turned the corner into a small park. It was pretty deserted as this was not the most pleasant of neighbourhoods and most people would go to the bigger parks, but there were a few Mundanes milling around. Most seemed to be young couples like Magnus and Alec, which made Alec feel a little more comfortable. He didn't want Mundane children to be staring at them, judging them.

"Alright," Magnus said turning to face Alec. "What we need is to make the body first." Alec nodded but didn't really understand what Magnus was talking about.

Magnus knelt down and scooped up some of the snow in his gloved hands, either not realising Alec's confusion or hoping that leading by example would explain everything. Alec watched as he began sculpting the snow into a small ball. He reached down and grabbed more snow, adding it to the ball making it bigger. He repeated this a few times, then began rolling the ball in the snow. It was growing, albeit slowly, and Alec began to understand what was happening. Magnus appeared to be concentrating very hard on the snow, and Alec didn't mind watching him.

"You could do the same for the head," Magnus suggested, and Alec nodded again, figuring it would be the same process.

He did just as Magnus had showed him and soon the two of them were rolling the snow in long lines across the grass of the park, leaving patching green trails in their wake. They were giggling like school children and even though his face felt like it might just freeze completely, Alec didn't care about anything but this - enjoying his time with his boyfriend. He couldn't help but wonder why he had had any qualms to begin with, this was possibly the most fun he'd had in a long time. He knew he could never repay Magnus for this - for the feeling of liberation Alec felt in every cell in his body.

Once both of their snowballs were fairly big, Magnus declared that it was time to assemble to snow man. He and Alec both lifted the ball of snow Alec had created and gently placed it on top if the one Magnus had built. Both were a little misshapen, and there were mud stains here and there so it wasn't perfectly white, but Alec didn't care. He thought it was a little like he and Magnus - they may not look right when they stood next to each other, but they worked once you looked at the deeper meaning. Alec stepped back to admire what they'd made but apparently Magnus wasn't done just yet.

He poked his finger into the top left hand side of the head and began to twist, creating a shallow tunnel in the snow. He then did the same to the right hand side. After that, starting from the left and moving to the right, pressed his finger lower and swiped it across creating a wobbly smile. He looked around cautiously at the Mundanes, then clicked his fingers sending blue sparks flying and a carrot appeared in his hand. Alec was about to ask what on earth they need eda carrot for when Magnus pressed it into the middle of the snowman, acting as a nose. Finally done, Magnus stepped back to Alec's side.

"Congratulations, Shadowhunter, you just built your first snowman." Magnus teased, knocking his shoulder into Alec's.

"Thank you," Alec said turning to face his boyfriend. "I know this is silly but - this means a lot."

Magnus smiled, cat eyes shining, and replied, "It's not silly, Alexander. It's nice to see you not so tense for once."

It was true, Alec did seem rather carefree. His hair was a mess, damp from the snow and tussled where he'd run his hands through it to push it back out of his face. His clothes were rumpled from chasing around a ball of snow, his scarf untucked from his coat and dangling around his neck, his jeans soaked through. His coat had prevented the silk shirt from getting wet, and it was still nice and soft, hugging his body. Alec wasn't convinced Magnus hadn't spelled it to keep him warm. It wouldn't have mattered because the soft look of adoration in Magnus' eye seemed to warm Alec's cool skin with no magic required.

"Just-" Alec began, then shook his head unable to find the right words. "Thank you. Just thank you."

Magnus grinned and tugged Alec forward by his scarf. He then used it to tug Alec down so their eyes were level. "You are more than welcome, Alexander," he said before pulling Alec in for a sweet kiss, their cold lips moving in unison and beginning to warm up a little.

Alec had many fond memories of snow, but this one was his favourite

 

**Author's Note:**

> This was far, far longer than I had intended for it to be, but never mind. And I realise it isn't until the very last lines that I actually fill the prompt, but I don't care.
> 
> I've re-discovered my love for Malec through binge watching the show, and by reading the series again. As I mentioned, I've only just bought City of Heavenly Fire so I haven't read this one yet, but I can't wait to. I cannot take the suspense of the epilogue of the Lost Souls epilogue (and The Voicemails of Magnus Bane). For anyone who doesn't know, I won't spoil it.
> 
> I know this is a little cheesy but I haven't written pure Malec fluff... ever? My other Malec fics have been WAY more angsty. Especially Open When which is just... yeah. So yes, cheesy as it is, I'm not going to apologise.
> 
> If you're feeling lovely you could drop a Kudos or a Comment on the end of this fic. If you want. 
> 
> If you want to message me my Instagram is Favefangirl and my Tumblr is [nebulous--bounds](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/nebulous--bounds) I'm more than happy to answer any questions, maybe fill any prompts or just generally converse with you lovely people. Be sure to follow me, too, if you want! I'm mostly multi-fan and I blog a lot about writing (especially on Tumblr). You can also follow me on Pinterest [here](https://www.pinterest.co.uk/Favefangirl/)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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